Bellefonte veteran announces plans to run for PA’s 15th Congressional District

A Bellefonte native and veteran who’s been a frequent attendee at protests across Centre County over the past year announced his intentions Monday to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in Pennsylvania’s 15th district.

U.S. Air Force veteran Ray Bilger said in a press release that his campaign would be centered around bringing affordability, safety, opportunity and hope to the area. He will be running for the Democratic nomination.

“I am running to represent the people of the 15th district because they are struggling to put food on their tables and face no health care in their communities,” Bilger stated in the release. “I grew up in Bellefonte but had to leave the area to find real opportunities. I returned three years ago and found nothing has changed for many residents, especially over the past 16 years.”

The 15th Congressional district seat is currently held by U.S. Rep. Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-Howard, and covers parts of 18 counties, including Centre.

After attending Bellefonte Area High School, Bilger attended Penn State, but instead of finishing his studies, he said financial troubles led him follow in his father’s footsteps and join the military in 1986. He said that decision is one many young Pennsylvanians have also been faced with.

Bilger served in the Air Force for 35 years, and had been stationed in “nearly as many countries.” He served as military intelligence specialist in both the Desert Shield and Desert Storm missions, as a security officer and intelligence analyst, and has led teams for the Air Force, National Security Agency and U.S. Department of State.

In the late 1990s, Bilger also was a Balkans Special Operations Team Lead for the NSA, and was awarded the U.S. Commander’s Civilian Service Award. From 2015 to 2017, he worked as NSA Technical Director for Cyber Analysis.

Bilger met his wife while stationed in Poland, and the pair and their son moved back to Bellefonte in 2020 where they’ve been since.

“I’m a combat veteran,” he said. “The United States government for the past forty years entrusted me to make the hard decisions and to solve hard problems. We need real leadership. I’m going to put my expertise to work here. That is the mission. We solve hard problems. We work for the people, not ourselves.”

Thompson, who was first elected to Congress in 2008, has not yet publically announced whether he’ll seek reelection to his seat, and a spokesperson did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment. In his last election, Thompson beat political newcomer Zach Womer by more than 40 points.

Over the past year, Bilger has been one of many to partake in the weekly “Thompson Tuesday” protests outside the current representative’s office, in opposition of his recent political actions and support of Trump administration policies.

Bilger plans to hold a campaign kickoff event at 3 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 12 at the Bellefonte Art Museum.

This story was originally published February 9, 2026 at 1:54 PM.